Two of the photovoltaic plants that Ríos Renovables Group operates in Cortes and Valladolid will soon see their energy generation process improved thanks to an innovative hybridisation system with batteries. Specifically, the application of this technology, which will require the company to invest approximately 7 million euros, will make it possible to store the energy produced during peak generation times and supply it when demand is high and production is low.
The project was presented during a visit by the President of Navarre, María Chivite, to the company’s headquarters in Fustiñana. The two photovoltaic solar plants total approximately 20 MW, and the new initiative includes the installation of batteries with a storage capacity of 15 MWh.
“This will make it possible to consume renewable energy even at times with little or no solar radiation, thanks to the fact that the energy produced by the solar plants during off-peak hours will be stored and injected into the grid during peak hours, when renewable energy is not available and the energy cost is higher”, said our president Adalberto Ríos.
Ríos also confirmed that “the initiative will contribute to lowering energy prices, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and improving the resilience of the electricity grid“. And he valued the importance that developments of this type can have for the energy transition and “to make the most of renewable energy sources”.
In this sense, he pointed out as another relevant benefit the fact that “it can help to improve the stability and quality of the electricity grid by providing backup power and reducing the need to build new infrastructures to meet moments of high demand”. For her part, Chivite valued the “significant improvement” that this project represents for the penetration of renewable energies.
SELF-CONSUMPTION AND NEW ENERGIES
Adalberto Ríos, on the other hand, shared with the president other current business lines, apart from the aforementioned project. For example, he recalled the more than 100 megawatts (MW) that the company develops annually in the area of promotion and commissioning of solar photovoltaic plants.
He also highlighted the growth that Ríos Renovables Group has experienced in self-consumption, where it has achieved an increase of “more than 200%” in installations: “A trend that we are maintaining this year”.
At the same time, he highlighted the company’s commitment to other non-polluting and sustainable energy sources such as thermal or biomass. Finally, he explained the work that the company is carrying out in the area of energy efficiency. “Here we offer an energy consultancy service for the Administration, which includes carrying out studies and proposals for improvement with which we aim to optimise savings and efficiency in public lighting”, he indicated.
GROWTH OF RENEWABLE RIVERS
The good results achieved in the main lines of business and its diversification strategy have boosted the organisation’s growth in recent years. It currently has offices in Fustiñana, Valladolid, Madrid, Extremadura, Zaragoza and Turin (Italy) and is planning its international expansion, focusing on markets such as Chile and the United Kingdom.
Specifically, the workforce has increased by 110 people in the last year and a half, which means that it now has 250 employees. In addition, the company closed 2022 with a turnover of 95 million euros. According to the Government of Navarre, Chivite thanked Ríos Renovables Group for its contribution “to the economic and social structure” of the region, “to innovation and internationalisation”.
